GRANT=6950151;P01HL The goal of the Transgenic Mouse Core is to provide transgenic and RAGE (0) animals bred into multiple genetic backgrounds to each of the three projects of this Program Project. Due to the extensive numbers of mice that are required for each project, and since a number of the genotypes are shared across more than one project, in order to ensure optimal quality control, mouse identification and smooth flow of animals, the functions of breeding and genotyping of animals are best done within a core facility by a team dedicated to that function. There are multiple lines of mice that need to be maintained, and bred into multiple genetic backgrounds as follows: RAGE (0); apo E (0); transgenic mice expressing a tail-deleted RAGE transgene (dominant negative RAGE) under control of the Preproendothelin-1 promoter; transgenic mice expressing a tail-deleted RAGE transgene (dominant negative RAGE) under control of the macrophage scavenger receptor promoter; transgenic mice expressing a tail-deleted RAGE transgene (dominant negative RAGE) under control of the SM22alpha promoter; early growth response-1 (egr-1 (0)); and transgenic mice expressing a human aldose reductase transgene under control of the major histocompatibility class I promoter. In this Core, this team, lead by Dr. Shi Fang Yan, will be specifically focused on the breeding and genotyping of transgenic mice. Mechanisms are in place in this Core to facilitate mouse breeding, weaning, tattooing, tail biopsy and Southern blotting/PCR to determine genotype. Multiple quality controls are in place to ensure consistency of the strains by Southern, Northern, Western blotting of representative mice per strain at specified intervals, along with activity assays as indicated. This Core will serve each of the three projects during each of the five years of the Program Project.